Actor Harrison Ford has taken a break from the glamour of Hollywood to enjoy a canal boat holiday in north Wales.

The Indiana Jones star and his girlfriend Calista Flockhart, of Ally McBeal fame, visited the Llangollen International Eisteddfod.

But while afloat during the day, the A-list couple were making use of rather more comfortable hotels for their overnight stops.

They chose a hotel frequented by opera singer Luciano Pavarotti in the past.

The Llangollen eisteddfod is an annual festival of music and dance which attracts performers from more than 40 countries, and up to 50,000 visitors.

An unknown Pavarotti performed there 50 years ago as part of an Italian choir which won a main competition, Dame Shirley Bassey was the top act last year, and this year's headliners include Michael Ball and Aled Jones.

The Indiana Jones star and his partner, travelling with Ms Flockhart's six-year-old son and a nanny, were also seen on the maes (festival field) at the eisteddfod on Tuesday morning by stunned fans.

They checked into the Bryn Howel just outside Llangollen on Monday evening, to the considerable surprise of staff.

The Ally McBeal star and her son accompanied Ford

Mr Ford made himself very popular by agreeing to have his photograph taken with three members of staff after signing the register.

Hotel director Barry Cohen said the couple were very friendly and had chatted with him in the bar during the evening of their arrival.

"He was just talking about canals in general, about the scenery and boats."

Mr Cohen added the hotel had had many famous guests but Mr Ford had created the best impression.

"He was the most natural of them all," he said.

The hotel has previously hosted such diverse celebrities as Pavarotti - who now has a suite at the hotel named in his honour - and, from slightly closer to home, TV makeover king Lawrence Llewellyn-Bowen.

Ford and Flockhart would have moored their boat at Trevor

Mr Ford had also been into shops in Chirk while passing by with their boat.

He bought some sugar and black bags from the Co-op, popped into the Hand Hotel for lunch and visited Chirk Golf Club during their short stay.

The couple then made their way into England on the Shropshire Union canal and are reported to have flown to Barcelona in Spain for the next stage of their European holiday.